Device for use in, or in connection with, machines for sewing on buttons



Feb. 5, 1935. v. J. CLARKSON 1,990,267 DEVICE FOR USE IN, OR INCONNECTION WITH, MACHINES FOR SEWiNG ON BUTTONS I Filed May 22. 1,933 5Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. 5, 1935. v. J. CLARKSON DEVICE FOR USE IN, OR INCONNECTION WITH, MACHINES FOR SEWING ON BUTTONS s Sheefis-Sheet 2 FiledMay 22, 1933 Feb. 5, 1935. v. J. CLARKSON R IN CONNECTION WITH, MACHINESEOR SEWiNG ON BUTTONS DEVICE FOR USE IN, 0

3 SheetsSheet 3 Filed May 22, 1935 20'; holes in register.

25 feeding operation, whereupon a mechanical arm which:-

Patented Feb. 5, 191 35 I l v i I A UNITED STATES PATENT'IOFFICAE,

navroa ron USE IN, on m oomo'rroiv m r g, moms FOR sawmo on BUT- VincentJoseph Clarkson, Leeds, England Application May 22, 1933, Serial No.672,335 In Great Britain June 6, 1932 8 Claims. (Cl. 112-413) Thisinvention relates to machines for sewingbracket) suitably arranged on,or associated with,

on buttons, and particularly to means for feeding the machine.

the buttons in turn to and for correctly position- In a preferredembodiment, the holder may ing them in the clamps or jaws of the machinecomprise parallel legs afiorded by two or more with their holes inregister with the sewing needle substantially rigid wires or theequivalent, or by 5 or needles. bending a piece of substantially rigidwireor the According to the invention the feeding means equivalent intohairpin formation, the spacing of comprise shutters or their equivalentadapted to the legs being such as to permit of buttons being co-operateto first isolate a button from the threaded thereon with each legengaging correwaiting supply and then transfer it to the carspendingholes in the buttons. 10 rier for conveying it to the clamps or jaws ofIn the case of a holder comprising two parallel the machine. lengths orlegs of wire or the equivalent, the but- According to a further featureof the invention tons may be retained upon the holder when not thebutton holding device more particularly required by an appropriateremovable stop or though not exclusively for supplying buttons in stopson said lengths or legs of wire and which 5 turn to machines forsewing-on buttons commay conveniently be in the form of a clip or clips,prises essentially one or more substantially rigid and in thislatterconnection said clip or clips .wires' or theequivalent on to which thebuttons may serve to, connect the lengths or legs of wire can bethreaded one upon another with their together.

In an embodiment of the invention, the buttons understood and readilycarried into effect, the are carried by a holder adapted to maintainthem same .will now be more fully described with referin Suc a positionas t0 bring the holes therein ence to the embodiments illustrated by wayof into predetermined positions for the subsequent example, in theaccompanying drawings, in

or carrier is advanced up to the button carried Figure 1 is a part sideelevation showing the by the holder so as to cause one or more fixedgeneral arrangement of the main features of the pins, spindles, rods orpegs appropriately posimachine viz. the holder, the feed device,"an'dthe tioned on said arm or carrier, to come into aligncarrier. ment withone or more of the holes in said but-' Figures 2, 3 and 4 arerespectively a side eleva- 30 ton prior to engaging therewith. The feedde- 'tion, plan, and end elevation of a carrier. Vic p v d d Supplyingbuttons vely Figures 5a, 5b, and 5c are respectively a front to thecarrier takes the form of shutters or their elevation, side elevationand a plan of one form equivalent adapted to co-operate to first cut offof button holder with buttons thereon.

In order that the invention may be clearly 20 or isolate a button fromthe waiting supply and Figures 6, '7 and 8 area plan, end elevation and5 then drop or supply it on to the carrier arm. front elevationrespectively of a feed device.

This being effected, the arm or carrier may now 9a, 9b, and 9c are aplan, front elevation and be Opera-ted automatically to convey the d endelevation respectively of the shutters emor gripped button into correctposition between played in the feed devi e,

the jaws a p the sewingfcn mac n Figure '10 is a fragmentary sectionalelevation 40 with the holes in the buttons in alignment or showing theguiding of the shutter. register with the sewing needle or needleswhere- Figure 11 is a diagrammatic plan of the workupon the said jaws orclamps close upon the ing parts showing, by way of example, a conbuttonto hold it in its predetermined position venient mode of operating them.

' during the Operation of Sewing-Om In th s cOn- Figure 12 is a similarview, showing the parts 45 nect on the J clamps in closing p the in theposition when ,the lower pair of shutters positioned'button may releasethe latter from the are open arm or carrier so as to allow it to performthe Figure 13 is a similar i showing th parts next automatic feedingoperation. The holder when the upper pair of shutters are open, may c pone or a plurality of b lly Referring to Figures 5a, 5b, and 5c of thedraw- 50 r d Wires, reds, P the like, lst at One ings, the holdercomprises a pair of parallel legs 1 end the pp end) of the holder, m nafforded by bending a piece of wire into hairpin are provided whereby itmay be suspended from, formation, the spacing of the legs being such orotherwise attached to, a support (conveniently as to permit their beingengaged with or passed 5 in the form of an appropriate standard orthrough diametrically opposed holes in the but- 5 carrier 3 remainsstationary with its pins in regand in this connection said clip maybridge across and engageboth .leg

Whenin use for supplying buttons to a sewingon machine, the buttonholder may be carried by a supporting standard in such a position thatthe lower end or ends of the wire leg or legs are in register with holesin supply-controlling shutters in conjunction with which works a carrierfor conveying the buttons in turn from the holder provided by the butshould it be necessary in any case, additional may be provided to ensurethe. the buttons.

The carrier'for transferring the buttons to the sewing-on machine(indicated by dotted lines at Figure 1) comprises a rigid bar 3 providedwith a in the buttons being the legs of the holder 1 also.

Figures 6 to 10 inclusive illustrate a convenient device for feeding thebuttons 2 singly and successively from the holder to the carrier. Thesaid device'consists essentially of upper and lowholder 1 and the holesin the buttons 2.

When the machine is ready for use see Figure 1) the holder 1 with itsbuttons a position that by suitable manipulation of the shutters '6, '7.Such manipulation may be effected at the proper time during the travelof the carrier bar 3to and from the sewing-on machine (Figure 1) bymechanism such as thatshown by way of examated by the lever 11 in orabout the two extreme stages of its movement, respectively. The lowershutters 7 are actuated when the carrier 3 is beneath them by theco-operation of the lever 11 with an abutment 14 on a spring pressedlink 15, movement of which actuates lever and link mechanism 16 to openthe lower shutters. The pin and slot 13 between lever 11 and bar 3afl'ords a lost motion connection at this stage so that the ister withthe holes in the buttons while shutters I, tom shutter from 2 is carriedby of operations isas fol; Assuming that the lowermost button in the thetop shutter will isolate the button on the betthe "stock in the holder.By suitable timing of the cam or other mechanism,

sewing-machine, the raising and opening of the clamp elements beingeflfected by mechanism such as levers, and/or cable transmission timedto operate during the forward movement of the carrier-arm. These clampsthen automatically close on to the button and, as

ton into position on the work for the actual sewing operation.

To adapt the feed device for others of the requiredform to co-operatewith the corresponding pin or pins 01' the holder.

ton may necessitate.

'The device is exceedingly simple in operation. foolproof inconstruction, and eflicient' in use. With ordinary buttons, no

the carrier-arm returns .to its zero position automatically lower-thebut- -tioned below said stack single button therebetween and to transferthe .alternately as supporting means I claim:-

1. In a button sewing machine, means for delivering buttons singly froma stack to the sewing mechanism of the machine, said means comprising amoving carrier bar adapted to travel from a point under the stack tothe'sewing mechanism, an upper and a lower pair of shutters positionedbelow said stack and adapted to isolate a single button therebetween andto transfer the same to the bar, and operating means for said shutters,timed to open the lower pair of shutters after the bar reaches the limitof its inward movement toward said point under the stack, and to openthe upper pair of shutters at a diflerent point in the cycle of movementof said carrier bar.

2. In a button sewing machine, means for delivering buttons singly froma stack to the sewing mechanism of the machine, said means comprising amoving carrier bar adapted to travel from a point under the stack to thesewing mechanism, an upper and a lower pair of shutters positioned belowsaid stack and adapted to isolate.a single button therebetween-and totransfer the same to the bar, and operating means for said shutters,timed to open the lower pair of shutters after the bar reaches the limitof its inward movement toward said point under the stack, and to openthe upper pair of shutters at substantially the end of tltie outwardmovement of the bar away from the s ack.

I 3. In a button sewing machine, means for delivering buttons singlyfrom a stack to the sewing mechanism of the machine, said meanscomprising a moving carrier bar adapted to travel from a point under thestack to the sewing mechanism, an upper and a lower pair of shutterspositioned belowsaid stack and adapted to isolate a single buttontherebetween and to transfer the same to the bar, and operating meansfor said shutters timed to open the lower pair of shutters after the barreaches the limit of its inward movement toward said point under thestack, and to open the upper pair of shutters during the movement of thebar remote from the stack.

4. In a button sewing machine, means for delivering buttons singly froma stack to the sewing mechanism of the machine, said means comprising areciprocating carrier bar adapted to travel from a position under thestack to the sewing mechanism, two pairs of shutters posiand adapted toisolate a same to the bar, said pairs of shutters serving for said stackof buttons, means for opening and then closing the upper pair ofshutters while the lower pair is closed to isolate a button between saidpairs, and means for opening the lower'pair while the upper pair isclosed and when the feeder bar is positioned thereunder button to thebar.

5. In a button sewing machine, means for deto transfer the isolatedlivering buttons singly from a stack of buttons to the sewing mechanismof the machine, said means comprising a reciprocating feeder bar adaptedto travel from a position below the stack to the sewing mechanism, twopairs 'of shutters isolate a button means for engaging rods to positionthe same accurately,

thereon, the portion of positioned below said stack of buttons andadapted to support the same, said pairs of shutters being normally heldin closed position by spring tension means, and means for momentarilyopening said pairs of shutters alternately in timed relation to themovement of said feeder bar, to

from the stack and then drop the same upon the bar when the latterreaches its position under the stack.

. 6. Button holding and delivering means for use with a button sewingmachine having a button carrier bar associated therewith, said meanscomprising a pair of vertically disposed parallel rods supportedadjacent their upper ends, and adapted to have a plurality of buttonsthreaded thereon in stacked formation, two pairs of horizontallydisposed shutters adjacent the lower ends of said rods in supportingrelation to the stack of buttons, each pair of shutters being opened andclosed alternately, first to isolate a button from said stack and thento drop said button to the button carrier bar for the sewing machine,said pairs of shutters each having and to prevent lateral displacementthereof.

'7. Button holding anddelivering means for use with a button sewingmachine having a button carrier bar associated therewith, said meanscomprising a pair of vertically disposed parallel rods supportedadjacent their upper ends, and adapted to have a plurality of buttonsthreaded thereon in stacked formation, two pairs of horizontallydisposed shutters adjacent the lower ends of said rods in supportingrelation to the stack of buttons, each pair of shutters being opened andclosed alternately, first to isolate a button from said stack and thento drop said button tothe button carrier bar for the sewing machine,said pairs of shutters each having recesses shaped to embrace the lowerend of each of said rods to position the same vaccurately, and toprevent lateral displacement thereof.

the lower endof each of said 8. A button carrying device adapted to holda plurality of buttons in proper relation thereon to be received by abutton sewing machine or the the device is dis-associated with themachine and as a button feeding'means when associated with the machine,said device comprising a single elongated substantially rigid wire bentupon itself intermediate its ends into substantially ushape, and stopmeans associated with anend of said wire, the legs formed by the bendtherein being disposed in parallel relation to each other and beingspaced apart a distance equal to the spacing of the holes in the buttonsthreaded the wire at the bend comprising a means whereby the device maybe hung from a support and the buttons retained thereon by said stopmeans to store said buttons, and whereby said device may thereafter behung from asupport onsaid machine, and serve as a button feedingmagazine for the machine, after the stop means has been renderedinoperative.

VINCENT JOSEPH CLARK ON.

